An effective laboratory method for thermal fluid mechanics course

Laboratory practice plays a crucial role in engineering especially in thermal fluid education. The advancement of computational and computer technologies have ushered in a new horizon in learning and teaching of laboratory practices world-wide. Apart from traditional hands-on laboratory practice, the virtual/simulated laboratory practices are playing an increasingly dominant role. The virtual laboratory practices offer unique opportunities for students to visualise complex concepts and remove the time and location barrier. This paper presents a 3-step hybrid laboratory practice developed at RMIT University for thermal fluid course. It is evident that a combination of video clip, hands on laboratory practice and virtual/simulated laboratory practice enhances the student learning experience and learning outcomes.